Verbena plant named &#39;Volver 7551&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘VOLVER 7551’, characterized by its compact and trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and inflorescences of with purple and light pink bi-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Botanical designation: Verbena×peruviana.

Cultivar denomination: ‘VOLVER 7551’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena×peruviana, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘VOLVER 7551’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Muenster, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new trailing and freely-branching Verbena plants with numerous large attractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from an open-pollination in 2013 in Muenster, Germany of an unnamed proprietary selection of Verbena×peruviana, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Verbena×peruviana as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Muenster, Germany in 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Muenster, Germany since 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘VOLVER 7551’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘VOLVER 7551’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Compact and trailing plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Inflorescences of with purple and light pink bi-colored         flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane on         strong peduncles.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more compact and denser than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena are not as upright as and are more         trailing than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have solid purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena hybrida ‘VEAZ0016’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,665. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Muenster, Germany, plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of ‘VEAZ0016’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more compact than plants of         ‘VEAZ0016’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena are not as mounding as and are more         trailing than plants of ‘VEAZ0016’.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘VEAZ0016’ differ in flower         color as plants of ‘VEAZ0016’ have red-colored flowers with         white-colored centers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Verbena plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘VOLVER 7551’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Muenster, Germany and under commercial practices typical of commercial Sutera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 5 to 65 klux. Plants were pinched two to three weeks after planting and were six months old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Mini Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena×peruviana ‘VOLVER 7551’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Verbena×peruviana, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of             Verbena×peruviana, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one to two weeks at             temperatures ranging from about 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two to three weeks at             temperatures ranging from about 15° C. to 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures ranging from about 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 30 days             at temperatures ranging from about 15° C. to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; creamy white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact and trailing plant habit;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.         -   Plant diameter (spread).—About 66 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 19             lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances             lateral branch development.         -   Length.—About 30 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3 mm to 5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1 cm to 1.8 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 2.8 cm to 5.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.8 cm to 3.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Dentate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; pilose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 136A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 136A; venation,             close to 142D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 142D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3 mm to 5 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture: Densely pilose. Color: Close to 144C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Sessile salverform flowers             arranged in terminal umbels; flowers face upward to somewhat             outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 11 to 14             flowers per inflorescence with numerous inflorescences             developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             throughout the summer in Germany; early flowering habit,             plants begin flowering about ten to twelve weeks after             planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about six days on the plant;             flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 cm to 8 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 4 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Shape: Elongated to ovate. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals             fused towards the base into a narrow tube. Petal lobe             length: About 2.5 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1.5 cm. Petal             lobe shape: Roughly cordate. Petal lobe apex: Emarginate.             Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pilose. Color: Petal, when opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 185B; towards the margins,             close to 65B. Petal, when opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 184D; towards the margins, close to 65B.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused sepals fused             towards the base into a narrow tube. Sepal length: About             1 cm. Sepal width: About 2 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate.             Sepal apex: Acuminate. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pilose. Sepal color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 143A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.4 cm to 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 2             mm to 3 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pilose. Color: Close             to 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther             color: Close to 144D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             Close to 154D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 2 cm to 2.3 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted.             Stigma color: Close to 144C. Style length: About 1.8 cm.             Style color: Close to 144C. Ovary color: Close to 144C.         -   Fruits and seeds.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed on plants of the new Verbena. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to about 36° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have been     observed to have good resistance to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the     new Verbena have not been observed to be resistant to pests and     other pathogens common to Verbena plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘VOLVER 7551’ as illustrated and described. 